Hobbits to the Rescue!A Preview of Encounter at Amon Dîn for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game
“It is clear that Hobbits had, in fact, lived quietly in Middle-earth for many long years before other folk became even aware of them. And the world being after all full of strange creatures beyond count, these little people seemed of very little importance. But in the days of Bilbo, and of Frodo his heir, they suddenly became, by no wish of their own, both important and renowned.”
–J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
The good villagers of Amon Dîn need help! In Encounter at Amon Dîn, fires and Orcs threaten their homes and their lives.
The scenario is the third in the Against the Shadow cycle for The Lord of the Rings: The Card Game, and it’s a classic rescue mission, complete with all the potential for danger, drama, and last-minute heroics that you’d expect. Its primary mechanics revolve around the introduction of the “Villagers X” keyword. When a card with the Villagers X keyword enters the staging area (even during setup), it gains X resource tokens that represent the village’s women, children, and men. As your heroes race to save these villagers from the fires and Orcs that threaten to destroy their homes, you track your progress by comparing the number of resource tokens on the two objectives you place in the staging area during setup, Rescued Villagers (Encounter at Amon Dîn, 68) and Dead Villagers (Encounter at Amon Dîn, 69).
This mission isn’t just about getting to the end; it’s about saving as many people as possible.
By No Wish of Their Own
Who will heed the villagers in their time of need? In our announcement article, we already introduced Pippin (Encounter at Amon Dîn, 56), the game’s third Hobbit hero available for any scenario. We also promised to reveal a Hobbit-themed deck that approached the game’s challenges in an all-new fashion. Well, here it is, the surprising, all-Hobbit deck made possible by the new hero and player cards from Encounter at Amon Dîn.
Heroes (3):
Bilbo Baggins (The Hunt for Gollum, 1)
Frodo Baggins
Pippin
Allies (9):
Arwen Undómiel x1
Erestor x1
Gandalf (Core Set, 73) x3
Gildor Inglorion x1
Gléowine x1
Northern Tracker x2
Attachments (12):
Fast Hitch x2
Good Meal x2
Protector of Lórien x2
Resourceful x3
Song of Kings x3
Events (29):
A Test of Will x3
Daeron’s Runes x3
Elrond’s Counsel x3
Hobbit-sense (Encounter at Amon Dîn, 65) x3
O Elbereth! Gilthonial! x2
Out of Sight x3
Peace, and Thought x3
Sneak Attack x3
The Galadhrim’s Greeting x2
Timely Aid x2
Will of the West x2
It was unlikely when they awoke that Bilbo, Frodo, and Pippin planned to spend their day fighting fires, dodging Orcs, and saving villagers. Yet, their good and curious natures dictated that when they saw the first signs of smoke on the horizon, they had to investigate, and then, discovering the villagers in need of aid, they had to do what they could to help.
Still, these Hobbit heroes are no warriors like the Men of Gondor, so the deck plays to their unique strengths. Hobbits are talented at “the art of disappearing swiftly and silently,” and this deck pairs their low-starting threat and several threat-reduction cards with three copies of Hobbit-sense and a number of Secrecy effects that help them avoid enemies long enough to save some villagers and get quickly out of Amon Dîn!
Designed for experienced players in search of new challenges, the deck presents a unique play experience. Whereas most decks strike a balance between questing, defending against enemies, and mounting counter-attacks, this deck focuses primarily on questing and avoiding attacks. Both Hobbit-sense and Out of Sight (The Long Dark, 81) allow these Hobbits to avoid the enemies engaged with them, and the deck is full of card draw effects, as well as Will of the West (Core Set, 49), to help you cycle through them. If all works according to plan, you’ll be able to optionally engage an enemy each engagement phase and then, during the combat phase, hide from all those enemies sniffing at your trail.
If things don’t work exactly to plan, Pippin can bounce an enemy back to the staging after it engages you, and Frodo can absorb some damage, converting it to threat. Plus, there’s always the chance that Gandalf will show up to help out. He is, after all, fond of Hobbits.
Pre-Order Your Copy Today
Hobbits are a sneaky lot, and if you blink at just the wrong moment, you might miss them. Don’t miss out on your chance to catch Pippin in heroic action. Amon Dîn is burning, and its villagers need help. Head to your local retailer today to pre-order your copy of this action-packed Adventure Pack!
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Hobbits to the Rescue!
